Overview of BRC Global Standards
In 1998 the British Retail Consortium (BRC), responding to industry needs, developed and introduced the BRC Food Technical Standard to be used to evaluate manufacturers of retailers own brand food products. It is designed to assist retailers and brand owners produce food products of consistent safety and quality and assist with their ‘due diligence’ defence, should they be subject to a prosecution by the enforcement authorities. Under EU food Law, retailers and brand owners have a legal responsibility for their brands.
BRC Food Standard was published first, then the BRC has been published the first issue of the Packaging Standard in 2002, followed by Consumer Products Standard in August 2003 and finally the BRC Global Standard – Storage and Distribution in August 2006. In 2009, the BRC partnered with the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) to develop the Global Standard for Consumer Products North America edition. Each of these Standards is regularly reviewed revised and updated at least every 3 years after extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders.
Currently 4 BRC standards are in practice:
- BRC Global standard for food safety 2015 – BRC Issue 7
- BRC Global standard for packaging and packaging material issue 4
- BRC Global standard for consumer products issue 3
- BRC Global standard for storage and distribution issue 2.
Steps of BRC Issue 7 Consultancy
- Procurement of the original copy of the standard.
- Micro level survey of the existing system.
- Form a steering committee and task force for Hazard study and documentation. Carry out haccp analysis and prepare haccp plan.
- Prepare the BRC documentation (Manual, Procedure, templates).
- Conduct awareness program (top + middle + bottom level).
- Define policy and establish objectives.
- Implementation & train all personnel in the use of procedures & formats.
- Provide training to employee related to Food safety hazards identification evaluation and control.
- Self assessment of the food safety system.
- Train internal auditors.
- Assess the system through first internal audit.
- Take corrective actions for non-conformities.
- Apply for certification.
- Assess the system through second round of internal audit.
- Avail pre-certification audit of certifying body.(Optional).
- Take actions on suggestions given by them.
- Final audit by certifying body.
- Submit the corrective actions to certifying body within 28 calendar days.
- Get the certification within 42 calendar days.
- Get BRC certified with achieved grade and get the name listed on BRC directory.
Benefits of the BRC Certification for Food Organizations
- International recognition,
- Scheme approved by GFSI,
- Accepted by all the retails customers,
- Improves the safety safety and Quality of your product,
- Conformance to Legal and Regulatory requirements,
- Systematic approach to meet the requirement for food safety,
- The ability to reduce the customer and third party audit,
- Systematic management of GMP requirements (Prerequisite programs),
- Can help identify process improvements & reduced customer complaints,
- Provides evidence of due diligence & reduces the likelihood of product recall & adverse publicity.
Requirements of BRC Food and BRC Packaging Standards
Below listed requirements need to be implemented to get the certificate of BRC food safety (Issue 7) and BRC IoP (issue 4) standard for packaging companies. In each of the below listed requirements there is many sub requirements and this BRC global standard is written in plain English so easy to understand to implement by the client.
- Senior management commitment
- The food safety plan – HACCP
- Food safety and Quality management system
- Site standards
- Product and process control
- Personnel and training.